by Jordan Foley, Student Public Relations Writer
Cross-disciplinary entrepreneurship is sweeping across Cedarville University as student entrepreneurs from diverse majors create innovative solutions that break traditional boundaries.
Daniel Ormsbee, a senior mechanical engineering and molecular biology major from Cedarville, Ohio, combined his passions for bioengineering and entrepreneurship to create his revolutionary company, Nutrafuel Bioworks. On September 27, his game-changing innovation won the $1,250 first place award at “The Pitch” competition hosted by Cedarville University’s Robert W. Plaster School of Business.
“The Pitch,” based on the popular “Shark Tank” television series, is sponsored by the Cedarville University Entrepreneurs (CUE) student organization. The competition is a space where students can pitch their entrepreneurial ideas to a panel of business sector judges for cash prizes.
As society battles a global waste and pollution crisis, Nutrafuel Bioworks harnesses the power of microbes to transform waste into high-value bio-products to enhance the well-being of humanity and the planet. Ormsbee aims to utilize new biotechnologies to produce sustainable, high-end biofuel, fertilizers, and nutraceuticals.
Ormsbee envisioned the idea while seeking solutions to address the need for distributed infrastructure, power and manufacturing in developing countries. After exploring his concept, Ormsbee created his company to turn waste into energy.
“Before the competition, I was unsure if the judges would be interested in my proposal compared to the other impressive consumer product companies being pitched by my peers,” said Ormsbee. “After they announced my name as the winner, I was in disbelief but overwhelmed with gratitude.”
Ormsbee envisions Nutrafuel Bioworks becoming a successful green-manufacturing company centered on community values, technical excellence and innovation.
“The Pitch proved to me that there is an appetite for ideas like Nutrafuel Bioworks within mainstream and industrial spaces, and the competition motivated me to share my innovation with a wider audience.”
Ormsbee leveraged his engineering talents to develop a groundbreaking business venture that proves Cedarville students are more invested in entrepreneurship than ever before.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is a Baptist university with undergraduate programs in arts, sciences, and professional programs, and graduate programs. With an enrollment of 6,384 students in more than 175 areas of study, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio and is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, and high graduation and retention rates. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.